I watched this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKh_iR1EE0Q) about the Final Fantasy series and its history so I got curious and started reading up on Square, about its beginnings as a company, and the evolving legacy of Final Fantasy.

Back in the day, circa 1997/1998, I remember Final Fantasy was this huge thing for a few of my friends, but it remained mysterious to me. I didn't have many games when I was a kid. I was playing mostly action adventure games like Link's Awakening for the gameboy or platformers like Banjo Kazooie (hell yeah!). The only console style RPG I ever played growing up was Pokemon - and I played those games to death. So I have lately found myself with an abundance of free time and I decided to throw myself into FF. Man do I feel like I missed out!

I just finished FFI (Origins) (took me 34 hours) and it definitely brings back memories of leveling up and acquiring new skills and weapons. As everyone says, the story and characters of the first game are a little underdeveloped but it was satisfying to put the hurt on Garland at the end. I like a challenge when I play a game. I put myself through a lot of tears and frustration completing StarFox64 (Hard way) and Banjo Kazooie when I was a kid and I've been playing games like Half Life, Halo, TimeSplitters 2, Resident Evil 4 on the hardest difficulty ever since - suffice it to say I developed some skills. So I played FFI on Origins normal difficulty and I chose to keep auto target off (it's actually more fun with auto target off because you have to plan your attacks more carefully or they'll go to waste - it makes battles more interesting). I went with the default party (): Fighter, Thief, White Mage, Black Mage. For awhile I had to rely heavily on my Fighter to pull the team through battles. The mages came into their own after awhile and somewhere between level 15-20 my Thief became useful. Of course, upgrading was fantastic. The most difficult parts of the game were the Marsh Cave, Mt. Gulg, and the Temple of Chaos. I often lost more health in random dungeon encounters than many of the actual boss battles. Overall, I really liked it and I hope it will get better with FFII, which I plan to start today.

I'm playing the classics first because I'm sequential like that. I like to know the history behind the series, even if the games aren't plot-related. Here's my plan:

FFII next, then
FFIV
FFVI
FFVII

I'm looking for recommendations about which versions (snes/psx/gameboy/psp) I should play and whether I should bother with FFIII and V. Truth is, I'm most excited to play VI and VII, as it will be my first time and those are the most talked about of the series.

Opinions? Recommendations?

you should play FFV ,if u are into job thingy
Abit too much of grinding,
Storyline is quite awesome,also great OST
One of my fav ff ost is in ffv, Gilgamesh battle
enuf of my rant,u should really play ff 5,6,7
they all are awesome in their own way

Thanks, Zenobia.

I think I will play III and V after all.

I think you should continue with your plan in sequential order - even FF3 and FF5. For a first timer, it would be cool to see the series' growth.

Buuuut if you get bored with the archaic ways of the oldies, check FF6, FF7, FF8, & FF9. You're guaranteed to have some fun with those. =0

I think you should continue with your plan in sequential order - even FF3 and FF5. For a first timer, it would be cool to see the series' growth.

Buuuut if you get bored with the archaic ways of the oldies, check FF6, FF7, FF8, & FF9. You're guaranteed to have some fun with those. =0
Of course I can't wait for VI and VII, but I'm really curious about VIII also. It seems the FF community is really divided about VIII's story.

I'm starting to think about this...if I actually play FFI through VIII or IX+....it might take me years lol!

man im stuck hard on ff1, the fuckin black wizards in the ice cavern...will show up, and kill me before i even have a chance to run away, if i manage to survive w/ 30hp, i only haave one character left, and if he doesnt flee, i die. its been really pissin me off, and not sure how this guide says im supposed to be able to beat game at my lvl, when black wizards fuck me up before i get chance to do anything.

---------- Post added at 09:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:10 AM ----------

Play V, leaps and bounds better than 6. kefka was to overrated blah blah blah, my rants are on other pages about that game. VII was ok, but still overrated in many aspects.

i wouldnt know much about 3, but yea, V, is a must imo. Definitely play 8, im in the middle of it atm, and its by far my favorite(i have played it already before, and have been doin the sequential thing your talking about, started w/ 4)

---------- Post added at 09:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:14 AM ----------

Will not take years, taken us less than a year, and we dont even play everyweek, and we do all the sidequests/bosses/items.

Okay! I'm back for the follow-up!

So FFI was good as I already noted in the OP. I give it a 6/10

I started FFII but the keyword feature seemed gimmicky, the story seemed a little uninspired, and I just found myself altogether bored :/ So I quit it after about 4 or so hours of gameplay.

Randomly decided to skip FFIII, probably because I was too excited in anticipation of starting...

FFIV! Loved it. Memorable characters, more complex plot, and excellent music!! 7/10

Does this series continue to get better? I'm in the middle of FFV right now, trying to unlock all 12 legendary weapons in the third world. I LOVE the Job System. And even though a lot of people seem to think V has a weak story, the gameplay makes up for it imo. I'd rate it an 8/10 so far.

Can't wait to start FFVI! And then, hopefully, eventually, FFVII!! God, I'm such a Final Fantasy noob. But I love it.

Nice to see an update from ya.

FFIII is ok. Do you have the DS version?

FFV has its moments, and the music is quite underrated.

You're bound to love FFVI...

I, II, and III are very classic RPGs, in that there is a ton of grinding. That was just the accepted norm back then, which is crazy nowadays. Even the PS1 re-release of I and II have basically an 'Easy' mode, where it's just more equivalent of more modern games in terms of battles.

I really like IV, as it focuses more on the story and character development, and everything else really expands. Maybe it was the increase of technology between platforms. Regardless, it's a huge step up. Even playing III for the DS, I realized what I was going back to and just sighed aloud. I would have someone new to the series start with IV, as it's a perfect blend of the classics without being too complicated.

VI is my favorite classic, but I wouldn't recommend it for a first-timer, as it's so complicated compared to earlier ones. It's really building off of the mechanics and gameplay of IV and V, so it might be more prudent to check those out first. Starting with VI might be a turn-off for a first-time player, as it might just be overwhelming with all the stuff thrown at you right off the bat.

6 isn't overly complicated, but it is slower pace than ff7.I love ff6's victorian age.It felt alive.

I love ff4 too.
FF1 i like a lot, but i realise its lack of story and character development.
I really like ff5 too for its gameplay, and like the characters.
I think you probably will like ff tactics, because the gameplay is good, and i'm tempted to buy it for psx.
I also think you will like ff9 if you like ff4, because it is a tribute to ff1 and 4.I also like the skill system in 9.

If you like 7 style, FFX might be up your alley.Flashy fmvs, futuristic world, and voice acting.FFX has a lot of tedious grinding, and annoying mini games, and no more flying on the map.Instead of landing your ship, its like the star treck teleportation system, and the world was made more linear to make room for cutscenes.

FFXII is said to be open world as it could be, and from the let's plays i've seen, it is.It is quite grindy though, with a ton of sidequests and secret encounters with special rare drops that are optional.It is real time though, and heard complaints about the story, characters, and the gambit system.

There are also 3 ff games on gameboy i own: ff legends 1-3.1 and 2 are the best ones, while 3 was too easy.1 and 2 can be really really hard if you don't know what your doing, because not all transformations are useful, and a balanced team is better.Monsters are very strong, and mutant s are casters who increase in stats as you fight.

The trick to beating FF2 nes, is to decide who will be a caster, and who will be a fighter.2 casters and 2 fighters is the best team.I recommend you grind a lot early on, and lots of ethers.Once you get osmose, mini and toad half way through, you will never need anything ever again.At most:pheonix downs.